June 23, 2017 - A city of Memphis employee, who didn't want to be identified, cuts tree debris after it fell and blocked a lane near 2450 Union Ave. on Friday. Wind gusts from a morning storm were reported from 30 mph to 40 mph in Memphis. The city is discussing problems with its public utility after another storm July 15, 2018.(Photo: Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

But rather than look for someone to blame, perhaps it's time to have a discussion about what Memphis wants from its utility 10 years from now — and how much it'll cost to make that happen. MLGW could propose more rate increases later this year, and new MLGW CEO J.T. Young has his bearings, so now is the perfect time.

Early voting update: Early voting continues today ahead of the Aug. 2 county general and state primary elections — and so far, Democrats have the turnout edge.

By the time the polls closed Friday, ending the first day of early voting, 1,111 Democrats and 424 Republicans had cast ballots at the five early voting sites. That's about a 72-28 percent split — much higher than the standard 60-40 split many politicos expect.

The drama continued Saturday morning as the Shelby County Democratic Party chided the Election Commission for opening some polling locations as much as 45 minutes late:

"Accounts of voters waiting in line and/or leaving without voting, are deeply concerning. It is our sincere hope that Election Commission would re-double its efforts to follow the court-order as it pertains to the opening of these sites and that there will not be a repeat of these issues going forward. However, we remain vigilant in protecting the rights of voters, and are ready to re-engage the legal system, if necessary, to insure that every person in Shelby County is afforded an equitable opportunity to vote."

Fade to 'blacklist': "When and how can the city government spy on people?" That's the provoking question at the heart of the 'blacklist' lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Tennessee against the city of Memphis, as Daniel Connolly reports. A decision is imminent.

But sadly the city has argued against making documents related to the case public:

In a filing last month, the ACLU side said the city hasn't met the burden for keeping some of these documents secret. "Most of the exhibits are communications between employees of the police department, copies of presentations, deposition transcripts and copies of social media posts," it argued. The ACLU lawyers argue the public should know what the government is doing.

The city responded: "It would be unfair to the City and Memphis Police Department to needlessly expose sensitive internal documents relating to how the MPD is attempting to protect the public from potential safety concerns to public view if the ACLU-TN does not have standing to bring the claim."

Of course, the Memphis Police Department shouldn't reveal detailed information about ongoing cases — but that's not the issue here. What's at issue is that the MPD wants to operate in the shadows, outside of public scrutiny. And that is a truly frightening thought. We have many great officers, but have we learned absolutely nothing over the years?

More mural mania: What is it with the city of Memphis and mural controversies?

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Yes, another mural controversy is brewing — this time at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and South Main in Downtown, as Jennifer Pignolet reports. The city has received complaints about the historical accuracy of the depicted and their clothing, that the depicted are too glum, and that the mural includes the phrase "Black Lives Matter."

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July 13, 2018 - The mural at MLK Avenue and S. Main was a collaboration between local artist Michael Roy and former Memphian Derrick Dent. The 80-foot-tall mural on the side of a parking garage features a visual timeline of the area around the mural and includes a contraband camp, Beale Street Baptist Church, Ida B. Wells, African-American Union soldiers, Robert Church, the Cotton Jubilee, the Daisy Theater, Monroe Housing and the Universal Life Insurance Company building before ending with a family at sidewalk level.(Photo: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal)

Like the last controversy, the city and the UrbanArt Commission could have prevented this brouhaha with more attention to detail — spilt milk, at this point, I know.

If the historical inaccuracies are major, the city should remove the mural. The city owes the truth to its citizens (see the above note on the 'blacklist'). However, if we're talking about a minor point like the ruffling on a dress, that seems more like an excuse than a reason. The artists — and the public — deserve a more clear rationale from the city.

Good reads:

If New York investors successfully revamp 100 North Main, the benefits could be massive, Ted Evanoff reports.